They’re just so…easy and yummy and practical. It’s like the trifecta of breakfast food qualities!

This weekend I’m trying to make good use of a bag of organic lemons that I bought a couple weeks ago and have had stored in the crisper drawer of my fridge ever since. I’ve found most citrus last for-practically-ever when it’s stowed in there, which is good for me when you find a forgotten bag.

Pancakes are a favorite. I’ve said time and time again how much I love making them on weekends because we have great leftovers to use during the week for my kids’ breakfasts.

And, you saw where I mentioned easy and yummy and practical, right? Especially practical. I’m all for practical.

In the case of these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, I didn’t stray too far from my traditional pancake recipe. I simply added ricotta cheese to the liquids, and then after I poured the liquid ingredients into the dry ones, I whisked in the zest and juice from one lemon.

It took all of 5 minutes to pull it together, which is about the right amount of time for the pan to preheat on the stove.

These were light, and fluffy – and most importantly, the kids loved them! I would have liked them a little more lemony, personally, so next time I might double the lemon zest. But, that’s just me.

Set a large nonstick skillet on the stove to preheat over medium heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl (or a large glass measuring cup), whisk together the egg, milk, ricotta and oil. Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and whisk them together until they're nearly combined. Add the vanilla, lemon juice and zest, and then continue whisking until the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated.

Use about ¼ cup of the batter to make each pancake. Let them cook on one side for about 4 minutes (or once you see bubbles form), then flip them and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Repeat this process until all the batter has been used.

Disclosure: I am a Stonyfield ambassador, which means I’m being compensated for posts like this one, and I’ve also been given free Stonyfield yogurt. As always, the opinions, recipes, ideas, etc., are all mine!

I don’t need to go on and on about how much we love pancakes in our house, because you can easily read about that in the other pancake recipes I have on the blog.

I will reiterate how useful leftover pancakes can be during the work-week though. My kids both love them reheated in the microwave, and it’s arguably quicker than pouring a bowl of cereal!

Today I cooked a batch of fluffy homemade pancakes. They were made with my basic recipe, except I added a 1/4 cup of Stonyfield Plain Greek yogurt and a tablespoon of pure vanilla extract.

Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat while you prepare the batter.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the egg, milk, oil, yogurt and vanilla together in a separate small bowl or 2-cup glass measuring cup. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and whisk them together until they're just combined.

Pour the batter a ¼ cup at a time into the pan, and cook them for 3 minutes (my pan fits 3 pancakes per batch). Flip the pancakes and continue cooking for 2 minutes longer. Remove the pancakes and keep them warm on plate, covered with foil. Continue making pancakes until the batter's gone.

Serve the pancakes warm with butter and real maple syrup. Keep leftovers in the fridge and reheat them during the week for an easy breakfast! Makes about 9 medium-sized pancakes.

I just can’t help myself. They’re super easy to pull together, and the flavor combos are endless. Got leftover super-ripe berries, or bananas that are on the edge of being too brown? Pancakes are your best friend.

Plus, the leftovers make for a quick and delicious breakfast during the work-week. Why eat a granola bar when you can have steamy, buttery pancakes in less than a minute?

So, a pint of blueberries found its way into my shopping cart last week….

Easy Blueberry Pancakes

Stir the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl – don’t worry about sifting them; there’s no need!

I always whisk the wet ingredients together in a large measuring cup because it saves me from having to wash another mixing bowl.

Make a little well in the center of the dry ingredients, and then whisk in the wet ingredients until the batter is just combined. You don’t want to over-mix the ingredients!

In a separate bowl, add a little flour to the blueberries and give them a toss. The flour keeps the berries from sinking to the bottom of the batter as you’re making the batches of pancakes. This is also a great trick for nuts, chocolate chips, etc., in cake batters!

Gently whisk the blueberries into the batter. Folding them in with a wooden spoon would probably be better (the whisk can run you the risk of breaking the blueberries), but I like using the least amount of dishes possible. The less dishes to wash, the better!

Pour the batter into a preheated, buttered skillet – about 1/4 cup at a time – and let them cook for approximately 4 minutes.

Flip the pancakes and let them cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. The blueberries will start to burst a little, and the juices will run, when they’re about done. YUM!

This homemade easy blueberry pancakes recipe will become a fast family favorite!

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 egg (beaten)

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 pint fresh blueberries

Instructions

Set a large skillet over medium heat to warm while you prepare the batter.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In 2-cup measuring cup, whisk together the egg, milk and oil.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, and whisk until they're just combined.

In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the blueberries and gently toss to combine. (This will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the batter bowl.) Gently whisk the blueberries into the batter.

Add the butter to the warmed skillet, and once it's melted, spoon the batter into the pan - about ¼ cup at a time.

Let the pancakes cook for 4 minutes, then flip them and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Remove the pancakes and repeat the process until the batter's finished.

Serve the blueberry pancakes warm with butter and syrup. Leftovers store well in the fridge and are easily reheated in the microwave!

Berries are in season right now in Maryland and lucky for us my parents have lots and lots of berry-producing bushes on their small farm. Last weekend when we visited for Father’s Day my mother sent us home with a big container of fresh raspberries and blackberries, most of which have already been devoured. Those that remained were just on the edge of getting too ripe, the kind of ripe that’ll flirt with moldiness in the next day or two. And we can’t let that happen, can we?

Therein lies today’s breakfast inspiration, a simple twist on my standard pancake recipe we make almost every weekend. Bonus? The pancakes reheat really well in the microwave if you have leftovers – just wrap a couple in a moist paper towel and nuke on high for 20-30 seconds. Here you go!

Set a large non-stick pan over medium heat to preheat. Combine the berries, vanilla and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl and set it aside while you make the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the egg, milk and oil in large measuring cup, and the pour it into the flour mixture. Whisk until everything is just combined, then gently fold in the macerated berries and their juices.

Ladle 1/4 cup of the batter (per pancake) into the preheated skillet and let them cook for 4 minutes, or until you see bubbles start to appear evenly over the surface. Flip the cakes, and continue cooking for two more minutes. Remove the pancakes to a plate and cover them with foil while you continue the cooking steps and use up the rest of the batter.

Serve the pancakes hot, and top with extra fresh berries, butter and syrup.

About Me

Hi, I'm Liza! I consider myself an everyday foodie and focus on local, organic, down-to-earth scratch cooking for my busy family of four. I believe others can relate to my life, and I love telling the story of how it IS possible to throw home-cooked, tasty meals together on a crazy weeknight!